Final Shots: Netflix Launches Fast.com, A New Utility For Checking Real-Time Download Speeds

Do you sometimes wonder whether you should even bother trying to watch the next episode of your favorite show on Netflix considering your shotty internet connection? Would it help to know how fast or slow your internet connection is at any given moment? Well, Netflix will help you figure that out with their brand new tool, Fast.com.

You can now head directly to that domain to access the new instant connection speed utility and obtain quantifiable data that will help you to assess potential streaming and download speeds. According to The Verge, the free tool is available for both mobile and broadband connections, for users with or without a Netflix subscription. Netflix’s most recent data-related improvement came earlier this month when the platform added a cellular data usage tool to its mobile app.

In other news…

Amazon Studios strengthened its position amongst the indie/arthouse scene after acquiring Academy Award-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s film The Salesman. Amazon will partner with Cohen Media Group for the Cannes contender’s domestic release. [Deadline]

Rya Kihlstedt (Heroes Reborn) has signed on for a recurring role opposite Tig Notaro in Amazon’s new Prime Video series One Mississippi. The dark comedy is more or less inspired by Notaro’s own life, focusing on her rocky adjustment period after returning to her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille. [Deadline]

The first images of Winona Ryder and the rest of the cast of Netflix’s forthcoming original series Stranger Things have been revealed. The 80s-themed supernatural mystery series from the creators of Wayward Pines is scheduled to premiere on July 15th.